Every game must-win for Fire

Playoff hopes on line in last 3 matches, starting with FC Dallas

For most of the 10 teams still chasing MLS playoff berths, ways to qualify can cover several paragraphs of what-if scenarios.

By necessity, the Fire's formula is very simple.

"We need to win," veteran defender Cory Gibbs said Tuesday. "Everything else is out of our control. We have to play to get three points (with a victory). We can't afford to drop points."

Now 7-8-16 with 37 points, the Fire must win their three remaining regular-season games, starting with Wednesday night's home clash with FC Dallas.

"We've had a decent run, but the best has to be yet to come," said Gibbs, who will play in a personal milestone 100th career MLS game Wednesday. "We feel better that we've done better (in recent weeks), but it's meaningless if we don't get into the playoffs."

The Fire could close the regular season with a maximum of 46 points, but also teams ahead of them — D.C. United, Portland and Houston and New York — to lose to improve their prospects.

The Dynamo and Red Bulls currently hold the final two spots with 43 points apiece with two games to play.

Ten teams qualify for the postseason. Four wild-card teams meet in two play-in games, with the winners joining an eight-team single elimination field that will contend for the 2011 MLS Cup.

The Fire wouldn't need to scramble if they had converted some of their league-record 16 ties into victories.

"I look back at (some) games and think 'How did we not pull three points'," Gibbs said. "You look at those 16 ties and at least more than half of them we could have said that for."

FC Dallas (13-11-7, 46 points) can clinch a playoff berth with a victory. But it is is mired in a scoring slump with four straight losses and no goals in 360 consecutive minutes, 10 away from a team record for futility.

The Fire have lost just once since early August, climbing into the playoff chase after the season seemed to be written off. Dominic Oduro has led the charge with seven of his team-high 12 goals since Aug. 7. He's two goals behind league-leaders Dwayne De Rosario, Thierry Henry and Chris Wondolowski.